This invention concerns a switch, more specifically a position switch, comprising a box housing a device that can be moved in travel and an electric switch assembly activated by this device. Its manoeuvre head is fitted so that it is removable and angularly variable in a recess of the box, which opens out onto a fitting surface of the box. The manoeuvre head has a tubular bearing surface that houses a push button, directly or indirectly activated by an object, and able to slide along the travel axis to operate with the movable device.
It is often desirable to be able to adjust the position of the manoeuvre head of such a switch. Such adjustment may indeed be necessary if the switch is mounted in a pre-determined position, while accepting activation by moving objects with varying trajectories.
In most examples of this type of position switch, see for example the U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,177 document, the head has a turning part that is moved by a lever and push button activated by the rotating part to operate with the movable device. The angular position of the head is adjusted by means of a costly rack-and-pinion device. There are also position switches whose push button is controlled by an axial activator; thus, document FR 2 785 985 shows a position switch whose head can be angularly adjusted using an indexing coupling and a positioning washer.
It is also knownxe2x80x94see document IT 218 310xe2x80x94how to adjust the angular position of an idle position switch lever, by providing teeth in an axial recess of the lever or a part fixed to the lever and additional teeth on the bearing surface of the turning part of the head. However, this does not enable positive adjustment of the angular position of the head.
The invention aims to provide great flexibility of use for a switch in a very simple and compact way, particularly a position or safety switch, by positive angular adjustment of the manoeuvre head.
According to the invention, the tubular bearing surface of the manoeuvre head is equipped with external notches, placed at regular intervals,
the outside of the box recess has internal notches, operating with the notches on the head, at the same intervals or at multiple intervals,
the external and internal notches fit together according to the translation axis of the moveable device.
The tubular bearing surface may also provide a stop shoulder applicable to the fitting surface, with the external notches of the tubular bearing surface below the shoulder and radially set back from it. The internal notches of the recess can be formed by a moulded toothed crown, located at the opening of the recess or added within the recess.
A fork used to fix the head axially and confirm engaging of the notches can be included in a slot of the box to operate with an annular groove on the tubular bearing surface of the head. The fork can be held in its fixture position by various holding means, particularly a lock. Marks provided on the branch of the manoeuvre head, which is directed along the translation axis, and on the upper fitting surface on the edge of the recess enable easy viewing of the angular position of the head.
The invention also concerns a pivoting lever position switch, offering double angular adjustment of the head in relation to the box, and of a pivoting manoeuvre lever in relation to the head. In this case, the head is an L-shape, with the two branches equipped with regularly spaced notches, the head being mounted by its first branch in the respective notches provided at regular intervals around the outside of the recess, the lever being mounted on the second branch of the head and having respective notches at regular intervals.
The description given below is of a non-limiting production method of the invention, supported by the attached drawings.